1. Sit down and plan
Planning is your key to success. I have 28 years of professional cooking experience, and I still sit down and take the time I need to plan my production, even if I just cook for my family.

2. Timing is everything
You can’t serve your guests late. Holiday cooking is about evaluating how long things will take to prep and cook.

3. List the tasks
The first part of your planning is to list every task required to make your dinner happen. List everything: peel onions, dice onions, make gravy, put ham in oven, wash dishes, check on ham, boil potatoes, clean up kitchen, etc..

4. Time each task
Sounds time-consuming but it will save you time. Evaluate each task and give them a time. Be honest with yourself and do not overestimate your ability. Example: Peel onions (5 minutes), dice onions (5 minutes), make gravy (20 minutes), put ham in oven (9 minutes), etc…

5. Consolidate tasks
You’ll notice that some tasks can be consolidated. Maybe you need minced garlic for your gravy, and also for your stuffing. Just make one task out of the two.

6. Organize your tasks
First things first. Always start with what takes the longest to cook, and then what takes the longest to prep. Remember one thing: While things are cooking, you can still work on something else. That cuts down a lot of time. Do not just stand there watching your onions cook. Let them cook, and clean up your countertop for instance, or do a few dishes to keep up.

8. Be organized and clean
Talking about doing dishes, make sure you clean as you go. This is actually a very important part of your timing. When you dirty a dish, clean it up right away and don’t let dishes accumulate in the sink. When you’re done with a spice, put it away right away; don’t leave it on the counter for later.

Gui Alinat is a Tampa, Fla.-based American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef, published food writer, and the owner of Artisan Boutique Catering. He is the author of "The Chef's Repertoire," and "Eat More, Burn More."
Born, raised and classically trained as a chef on the Mediterranean coast of France, he traveled extensively, working in restaurants around the world.
Chef Gui promotes ...